Premier Futsal ropes in ex-Real Madrid defender Salgado

Mumbai, June 27 (IANS) The world’s first-ever multinational Futsal league, Premier Futsal, announced on Monday the signing of former Spain and Real Madrid defender Michel Salgado in a three-year deal.

Salgado, part of Real Madrid’s star-studded ‘Galacticos’ line-up that also included Zinedine Zidane and David Beckham, has won four La Liga titles, two UEFA Champions League crowns and an Inter-Continental Cup during his career.

The defender, who after a decade at Real Madrid moved to Blackburn Rovers for a three-year stint in the English Premier League, also made 53 appearances for Spain.

His signing marked a major coup for Premier Futsal, after the league roped in former Manchester United star Paul Scholes, FC Porto and Barcelona Champions League winner Deco and global futsal legend Alessandro Rosa Vieira, fondly known as Falcao, to name a few.

“Futsal is an extremely underrated sport. It has been the breeding ground for some of the biggest names in football the world over and I’m glad Premier Futsal in India is creating a platform that can showcase the sport and give it its due,” Salgado said in a release.

“I think the talent the league has managed to draw is fantastic with not just futsallers like Falcao but also career football players like Paul Scholes and Deco taking part,” the former Real star added.

“It’s almost nostalgic in a way to go up against these players again and I’m really looking forward to reliving the old days and reigniting those old rivalries, this time on the futsal court.”

Premier Futsal, a game split into two halves of 20 minutes each, will be hosted by eight Indian cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kochi, Hyderabad and Goa from July 15 to 24 in a franchise based outfits in the inaugural season.